Four Classic Albums

These two discs feature the earliest leader sides of trumpeter Ted Curson from the early 1960s with a variety of truly classic talent and then some. This budget-priced set on Avid includes all the original LP liner notes in the set. Three of the albums represented here place Curson in the leader role, including his excellent 1961 debut Plenty of Horn, which found him in the company of tenor Bill Barron, flutist Eric Dolphy, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and alternate drummers Roy Haynes, Dannie Richmond, and Pete La Roca. While The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron features Curson in a support role he is, with the leader, a prime soloist and integral part of the arrangements. The rest of the players are Garrison, pianist Kenny Barron, and drummer Frankie Dunlop. Most Curson fans are most familiar with 1962's Fire Down Below -- widely regarded as his classic -- with Gildo Mahones on piano, bassist George Tucker, Haynes, and Montego Joe on congas. Also included here is his second album, Live at La Tete de L'Art. Curson's generic backing band isn't up to the standards set by those on the other records, but the inclusion of this date is important because it's rare, provides historical context, and showcases that even under less than ideal circumstances, his individual voice was already fully developed. ~ Thom Jurek